Can anyone explain 1 Timothy 4: 1-5?

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Shaolen

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In this it talks about people leaving the faith teaching to abstain from eating meat. I recently saw a protestant using this against us. Does anyone have a way to explain this from the Catholic point of view?
 
It’s talking about those who forbid certain foods as being bad. The Church does not forbid foods…rather we fast and abstain PERIODICALLY as a “fast” from things that we know to be “good”. The reason we fast has alot to do with Christ telling us that, not only we WILL fast, but how to do it properly.
 
ahs said:
It’s talking about those who forbid certain foods as being bad. The Church does not forbid foods…rather we fast and abstain PERIODICALLY as a “fast” from things that we know to be “good”. The reason we fast has alot to do with Christ telling us that, not only we WILL fast, but how to do it properly.
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Indeed. Over a millennium and a half ago Augustine encountered and dealt with the line of argument that the OP is facing.
 
For Scriptural examples of Christians fasting, check out Acts 13:2-3, 14:23. Also see Lk 5:35, Mk 9:29, Mk 2:20, Mt 9:15, Mt 6:16-18…
 
Shaolen said:
In this it talks about people leaving the faith teaching to abstain from eating meat. I recently saw a protestant using this against us. Does anyone have a way to explain this from the Catholic point of view?
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How does a Protestant use this against a Catholic? The first sentence talks about people leaving the faith. If they left the faith, it cannot be used against people who never left the faith. Am I misunderstanding this?
 
You may wish to check out this from the Haydock Catholic Bible Commentary: haydock1859.tripod.com/id230.html. The Catholic Church has never forbidden eating meat as an evil. That is what St. Paul is talking about. Rather, we abstain from meat from time to time as penance and as a discipline as in fasting. As for marriage, the Church is all for it and for the engendering of children. So much so that if a couple decides before marriage they will not be open to children their marriage could be found to be invalid if taken before a marriage tribunal. Others have discussed the priesthood and religious life which is a sacrifice of one legitimate good for a better, higher good–that of complete service to God and his people.
 
ahs said:
It’s talking about those who forbid certain foods as being bad. The Church does not forbid foods…rather we fast and abstain PERIODICALLY as a “fast” from things that we know to be “good”. The reason we fast has alot to do with Christ telling us that, not only we WILL fast, but how to do it properly.
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Gospel of Jesus Christ is the gospel of the heart and as for the stomach or what gets put into it, the answer to that would be reflected in how one considers food from the hearts point of view.

If it is for necessity of nourishment then that is not considered sin, however if it is for the purpose of idolatry, then that is borne outside of what is considered necessity for nourishment and therefore is sin.

You can try different cultural foods as long as you praise God for providing it, having no other preconceived notion.

God reads the heart and so food is for the flesh and worship is for God only. When food becomes obsessive leading to gluttony then that becomes sin and if certain foods cause your brethren to err, then it becomes a decision of conscious and that is judged by God.

There is a difference between appeasing another’s heart and hurting it by our selfish acts. A Christian always puts himself and herself last before considering the self. In other words we put up with others for Christ’s sake.

I hope i have answered your question with love in Christ.
 
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